Chapter Seven

He laid there on the ground awkwardly with Andie sound asleep on his chest as he defiantly fought sleep. It was a very eventful couple of days for Idhrenor and unfortunately he had only been able to get a few hours of rest. He had been separated from his fellow rangers the day he met Andie.

He and his comrades had come upon a group of bandits harassing a traveling merchant. It was their duty to protect the lands they wandered and Idhrenor was loyal to his calling. He is meticulous in everything he does and it is because of this that he now finds himself cuddling with a woman he just met. Such impropriety!

Idhrenor was not known to leave a job half done. The very thought of it would frustrate him deeply. He and his companions were successful in protecting the merchant and most of his wares. But, the remaining of the bandits, the only survivor, had escaped and made way with the Merchant's purse. His comrades, Berenor and Remlas, were both occupied with aiding the unfortunate man. He was caught underneath the wagon the bandits had tipped over in their attempt to make their escape. Despite their efforts it proved to be folly as only one of eight lived. This was not enough for Idhrenor. The thief, though far, was still in his sight and it was more than enough of a reason to lay chase. Had he not lost his bow during combat he would have simply taken aim and finished the thief swiftly. But, he did not have time to retrieve the weapon and took off after the bandit.

Time was not on his side and nightfall was soon upon him. Idhrenor was displeased having been forced to set camp. The Barrow-Downs were not forgiving to wanderers who dared venture into it's hills. The Bandit's tracks seem to lead further into the downs but, Idhrenor would not follow. He knew what haunted the graves that rested in this place and it would be wise to keep a safe distance. So he would rest for the night and continue on to Bree in the morning. He was headed to Bree with his companions before coming upon the merchant and he was sure that he would reunite with them there. Idhrenor would then hear a scream. He questioned who it belonged to. The speech he could not understand but, he could discern that it was a female voice full of desperation and fear.

This lead him on the path to save the woman who was clinging on him presently. Andie, the strange woman that both intrigued and frustrated Idhrenor, was incongruous. Idhrenor could not excuse their close proximity even though he and Andie were alone. What's wrong is wrong even if there is no one to witness what's being done… and nothing was being done. He wasn't stripping her of her honor. He was comforting her and that in itself wasn't wrong but, he couldn't understand how she seemed to be alright being this familiar with him.

'Does she not care of her reputation? Is this how she is with anyone?' He wondered.

This was not an embrace that two strangers would share and it was far too intimate for Idhrenor's liking. He didn't forget how she placed her hand on his knee either. Yes she did express that it was a misunderstanding but, it was still too forward for Idhrenor. Her mannerisms were unbecoming.

'If she is a noblewoman, then she most certainly does not act like one.' He snorted lightly as he remembered how she had punched him repeatedly on the arm.

Idhrenor needed to get some rest. He had managed to get back on the path north of the Barrow-Downs and set up camp far enough away for safety. He looked down to Andie for a moment and noticed a few blemishes spread out on her cheeks that he wasn't sure wether or not they were there before. Had he simply not noticed? He continued to observed her and took note of her facial features. Her face was oval shaped and she was fair skinned. Idhrenor reasoned that Andie no doubt hardly spent much time outdoors because of the light pink sunburn that shown on her nose and cheeks. She had long eyelashes and a dimple on her chin. Her dark brown hair appeared black in the darkness of the night. Looking at her jawline he could see a light dusting of fine hair extending from her sideburns and stoping mid jaw. It wasn't noticeable from far but close up it was visible to him. Idhrenor's brows furrowed together and his fingers lightly brushed against her jaw before any thoughts of propriety could stop him. The sight of the excess hair did not make her unseemly in his eyes. It was always there, he just had not noticed. Breaking out of thought Idhrenor decided to try to shift her to the ground. She rolled with a soft groan in protest but, moved nonetheless away from her source of warmth and security. Idhrenor released the breath he was holding in relief.

'Finally!'

He draped the blanket over her sleeping form and returned to his spot near the campfire. Hopefully she wouldn't wake and require any assistance from him until dawn. Idhrenor yawned into his fist and laid on his back starring at the night sky. He rested a hand on the hilt of his sword and closed his eyes, finally allowing his body sleep. They would both continue to slumber without any disturbances from the world around them. Andie dreamed peacefully of home and Idhrenor of a memory constantly on his mind.

There was a faint tickling sensation moving down Andie's neck. It was bothersome and did not relent when she drowsily brushed a hand at the feeling. There it was again, it itched and moved up her neck and onto her jaw. What was it? Ugh it was so annoying! Turning onto her back, Andie groggily felt around her jaw and grabbed the source of the bothersome tickle. Thinking it must have been a loose hair moving because of the wind, Andie held said 'hair' into her line of sight. She glanced at it through sleep swollen eyes to confirm. To her dismay it wasn't a hair at all. It was a disgusting creature, a spider! All sleep left Andie in a split second and she froze in horror, starring at the insect. She could see its tiny eyes staring back and it ignited her panic.

Andie shook her hand violently and jumped to her feet as she let out an ear piercing scream.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Idhrenor was on his feet as quick as lighting ready for battle. He stood with tensed shoulders in a firm stance. His wide eyes searched frantically for the offender.

"Andie!" He shouted gruffly. "Quid enim mali est?"

"No no no no no" Andie repeated over and over.

She shook her hand hard and then tugged and shook her sweater. Andie ignored Idhrenor completely. She was solely focused on one thing, making sure that damn spider was no longer on her person. She jumped and wiggled her whole body. In her mind there was a convincing thought that where there was one there was bond to be another. Idhrenor watched this bewildering display and he was lost for words. What's wrong with her? What was she doing? He stood up tall with his head tilted to the side and wondered if he should stop whatever she was doing. What Idhrenor did not know was that Andie had a strong phobia of bugs. There were some that she could tolerate, flies and ants for example. She could even admire butterflies from afar but, once one got too close for comfort it became her nemesis.

Annoyed at his rude awakening, Idhrenor made a judgement call to slowly approach Andie. Maybe his initial impression of her had been right and she was daft. Just as he got close enough to reach out to her, Andie hastily threw off her sweater and began inspecting her arms. Idhrenor instantly averted his eyes and shouted at her blatant inappropriate behavior. Before he could reach down to grab her garment his attention was forced back on Andie as she screamed again.

"AHHH! Get it off! Get it off!" She yelled at him.

She shook and shook her arm but, the bug wouldn't fall off. Andie shoved her forearm in Idhrenor's face and continue to yell at him, demanding he remove the insect off of her. Idhrenor blinked at the bug and the pieces began to fall into place in his mind. He looked at Andie and then back at the bug. This?! This is why she screamed as if she was being attacked by some crook? It could just be exhaustion but, his patience was wearing thin. Idhrenor pushed her arm away and crossed his arm across his chest. Andie did not appreciate his lack of help or the annoyed expression he directed her way. She hit his shoulder in impatience and irritation, resulting in him glaring at her.

"Idhrenor! Help!"

She shoved her arm in his face again, desperation in her eyes. Idhrenor rolled his eyes with his head tilting back as he groaned loudly. She was acting like a child! It was just a harmless beetle. He didn't know of the spider that had started this but, he still saw her reaction to be childish. He grabbed her arm firmly and plucked the beetle off. He noticed her arm was more hairy than what one would expect a woman's arm to look like. It wasn't like she was hairy than him, she wasn't. It was just a curious sight for him. He now focused his attention on the Andie's behavior, quickly overlooking her exposed arms. He then pulled her in close to show her the beetle. It was not his intent to scare her. He simply wanted to show her how harmless it was and that she was clearly overreacting. But that was not how she perceived it. Andie's reflex kicked in as soon as the bug came into view. She slapped his arm away being careful to avoid the insect in his hand as she jerked her arm free from his grasp.

"NO!" Andie shouted.

The force from Andie's slap caused the beetle to slip from Idhrenor's fingers. They both watched as it flew off just before hitting the ground. Jumping backwards to move away from it, Andie screamed loudly in horror. All this screaming was giving him a headache and the noise would no doubt attract unwanted attention. Idhrenor placed a hand over Andie's mouth and shushed her just as loudly.

"Mea Domina Andie! SHHHHHH!"

With the bug now gone and Idhrenor effectively muting her, Andie stood still looking directly into his eyes. His brows were lowered and his index finger still pressed against his lips. She could see how unamused he was. She didn't expect him to understand. Most people didn't. It was just one of those things people picked at. She wasn't going to apologize to him about her fear either. Not right now at least. She knew it was an irrational fear. She knew she was bigger than them. And yea they're probably more scared of her than she is of them. She's heard it all before and saw it clearly on Idhrenor's face. It annoyed her greatly.

"Yeah Yeah Yeah I already know!" She said dismissively.

"You don't need to lecture me"

"Andie" Idhrenor said crossing his arms.

"Yes! Ok! I got it!"

"Shhh!" She shushed him before he could do so to her.

Idhrenor raise a brow and shook his head as she turned her back to him and walked to her bag. She could hear him sigh and had the mental image of him pinching his nose. They were both highly displeased with each other and neither made any move to reconcile. It was early and Idhrenor had a headache. Andie was still irritated from the bugs and both were running low on patience. It seemed it was already going to be a long day.

"Andie"

No answer. Andie ignored him.

"Andie"

'Blah Blah Blah' Andie mocked quietly in her head.

"Andie" Idhrenor said more firmly. His voice deeper than she has ever heard it.

'Just say whatever you're gonna say. Not like I'm gonna understand.' She thought to herself annoyed.

She could hear him muttering to himself behind her. She sighed. It wouldn't be a great idea to anger the one person who was helping her get home, no matter how mad she was with him. Just as she turned to face him Andie was shocked when suddenly her face was engulfed by her sweater.

"Hey!" She exclaimed at Idhrenor as she pulled the garment off her face.

He had thrown her sweater at her! Her face expressed a slack-jawed look of astonishment that quickly turned into a glare. He stood there tight-lipped with arms crossed and his gaze fixed away from her. Andie misinterpreted the hint of redness on his face as a sign of frustration or anger. But, Idhrenor was in fact blushing when he remembered her state of dress. The sweater she wore was baggy enough to conceal her figure. Idhrenor already considered her clothing inappropriate for a lady but, without the sweater it was scandalous. Her jeans were tight and without her sweater showed off her behind clearly. It wasn't like he had never seen a female dressed in trousers, many elf maidens wore such apparel when hunting or going off into battle. But, none dressed as she did and her outfit wasn't suitable for either activity.

When Idhrenor had noticed her state of dress he was speechless. She wore a black U-neck T-shirt that was somewhat form fitting. It was modest in Andie's opinion but, to Idhrenor it was not. The 'tunic' left little to the imagination, not that he was trying to imagine anything. He was able to clearly see her figure and after the cuddle session they had last night Idhrenor felt overwhelmed with her sense of impropriety.

Andie wasn't a thin woman and she wasn't fit either. Her weight was something she struggled with almost her whole life. It was one of the reasons why she didn't believe herself to be attractive. Years of bullying solidified that belief and she learned to hide her form under sweaters. What Idhrenor saw wasn't the same image Andie would see in herself. She was curvy and had a full hourglass figure. Her hips were wide and she was buxom. Idhrenor's frustration had gotten the best of him when she had ignored him and he expressed that through his actions. It was the only thing he was willing to do in order get her attention without having to fully look at her. He cleared his throat to signal that he was going to speak, his gaze still avoiding her.

"Andie" he said as he pointed to her.

"Posuit manere" He continued as the pointed to the spot she was already standing on.

"Idhrenor" He pointed to himself and then nodded to the left while pointing beyond the camp in the same direction. He began to walk away but, shortly stopped and pointed at her firmly. He still would not look at her fully.

"Andie maneat" he said strongly.

Andie watched him walk away. She squinted her eyes to follow him until she couldn't see him anymore. She understood what he wanted but, didn't appreciate his tone.

"Andie ma-et" she mocked under her breath while making a face in the direction he left.

"Et induere cultioribus vestimentis!" He shouted from a distance causing her to jump like a child caught red handed with their hand in the cookie jar.

'Did he hear me? What did he say? Where was he going anyway?'

Then she felt her heart drop into her stomach.

'Was he so mad at me that he left?! Did he abandoned me?!'

Panic filled her entire being. Her heart raced as her mind filled with 'what ifs'. She thought of going after him and picked up her bag. Unbeknownst to Andie, Idhrenor did not abandon her and was simply answering nature's call. As she rushed to put on her backpack she glance around the camp and noticed his pack was still there.

"He…left it?" She said confused, her eyebrows squishing together.

Walking over to where his pack laid Andie could see a area of flatten grass in the size of a person. She deduced that this is where he must have slept last night. Looking back to his pack she hoped that he didn't really leave her. She was almost sure that he would at least be back for his belongings. She put on her sweater and zippered it up once the cool morning air gave her the chills. After she folded his blanket she sat by his pack waiting for him. She starred at the flatten grass and thought hard.

'When did I fall asleep? What happened last night'

She tried to remember exactly when and how she fell asleep. She remembered Idhrenor manhandling her and that they were both annoyed with each other. She remember him telling her to go to sleep more than once.

'He told me to sleep and then i heard a sound…'

"Oh gosh! I cried!" Andie's eyes widen in embarrassment. She dropped her face into her palms and groaned loudly.

"He must think I'm such a big baby! And then the bugs today!" She exclaimed mortified.

Memories of her pathetic crying last night flooded her mind and the tell-tale heat of embarrassment crept across her checks. Andie lifted her head suddenly with wide eyes.

"Oh no! I fell asleep on him!"

At that moment is where Andie's eyes meet with Idhrenor. When had he returned? Her face was red and she tried to cover herself more by pulling her hood over her head. Idhrenor watched her quizzically, his head tilted to the side and one eyebrow cocked up. What was she up to now? Andie averted her eyes finding her shoes to be a preferred sight rather than having to look at him. She could hear him mumbling to himself and the shuffling of his boots as he moved around camp. The hissing sound of the campfire being put out told her that he was ready to go. Idhrenor lightly nudged her foot with his in a silent request for her attention.

"Hmm?" She hummed, still not giving him eye contact.

Idhrenor ran a hand through his hair pushing it back. It was too early for all this nonsense. He crouched down in front of where she sat and gently grabbed her chin. His fingers were warm and calloused. Her gaze immediately snapped to his face looking up over her glasses with big doe eyes. He surveyed her face and saw she was fine despite the redness it held. Why was she red? Had something happened when he was gone? Or was she still upset with him? Why was she trying to hide her face from him? This woman confused him to no end.

A breeze passed by causing her loose hair to shift. Idhrenor's hand moved swiftly to the side of her face. He tilted her head up and to the side. There was trail of hives starting at bottom of her neck leading up the side of her face. Was it the bug that caused this? Could this explain her reaction to the insect? His touch was to personal for her liking. She felt uncomfortable with this closeness. She had no doubt that she was probably redder than a tomato. No man had ever touched her this way before. She only dated one man in her lifetime and not even he held her face the way Idhrenor did.

'What does he think he's doing?!' she wondered.

He was now cupping her face with both hands tilting her head side to side ever so often. His eyes studied her and she began to feel very self conscious. Enough was enough! Did he not see how uncomfortable she was with this? Andie grabbed his hands and pushed them away.

"Stop Idhrenor"

He sensed her apprehensiveness and pointed to the side of his face and neck and then repeated the gesture at her. She squinted at him and shook her head no. She wasn't sure what he was trying to say but she didn't want him that close so she simply disagreed.

"Sunt tibi bene?"

The words sounded familiar to her but, she couldn't remember the meaning. Seeing her continued confusion, Idhrenor pointed to her pocket where he knew she kept her magic lantern. He was able to see his reflection in the dark surface before, so he felt he could better explain what he was doing by showing her. He pointed adamantly to her pocket. Andie pulled out her phone and gave it to him. He held the device near her face and pointed at the hives. She couldn't see her reflection very well in the dark screen from the angle he held it at but, could see 'bumps' where he was pointing.

'Are those pimples?!' she thought horrified as she snatched her phone away from Idhrenor.

There was so many! And some were huge! She pulled up the camera and inspected the 'pimples.' What she saw weren't pimples at all. To her relief it was just her allergies acting up. There was probably pollen on the ground where she slept or maybe it was the grass. Andie never really memorized the long list of allergies she had. She could name a few but, after she tested positive for almost every environmental allergy, she just decided to carry her medication everywhere and that would be enough. She didn't go out for long periods of times anyway.

"Sunt tibi bene?" Idhrenor asked concern.

Andie looked to him and smiled. Now understanding his actions and words, she nodded her head yes. Idhrenor's hand lightly touched the hives on her jaw and he watched intensely for any sign of pain or discomfort. Andie's smile fell and she could feel goosebumps all up her arms.

"Ummm…" She stammered, unsure of what to do.

He pulled away just as she spoke and she watched him pull out the pouch she now recognized as the medicine bag. Reminded of the last time he treated her skin, Andie quickly moved to grab his hands.

"Idhrenor!" She said while holding tightly onto his hands.

"No." She shook her head.

Idhrenor sighed. Why must she always fight him?! He knew how she felt about his more aggressive approach but, she doesn't really leave him any choice.

"Andie" he said in a warning tone.

He freed himself from her grasp and continued to retrieve what he needed from the pouch. Andie hastily took off her bag and dug out her allergy pills. She wasn't going to let him put spit and chewed up flowers on her face.

'No no no' she thought over and over again as she took one pill out of the container.

"Idhrenor look" she said confidently while holding up the pill for him to see.

Idhrenor paused in his task and glance at the tiny pebble held in between her fingers. His eyes shifted to her with a look of puzzlement. Why was she showing him a pebble? He decided to ignore her. They had to get moving and he needed to take care of her hives before they did so. Andie watch in horror as Idhrenor chewed up the white flowered plant. If he had witch hazel he would have boiled it and added it into the paste but, that would have to wait until they arrived at Bree. Athelas would have to do for now. It would cleanse her skin and numb any pain or discomfort from the hives in the meantime.

"Idhrenor wait" she pleaded with him. "Please no"

He continued to chew with a deadpan look on his face. He was done with her stubbornness and the arguments that followed. His hand reached out for her face but, he ended up grasping at air when Andie jerked away from him.

"No. Wait."

She showed him the pill again.

"Medicine" she explained placing the pill bottle in his hand.

Idhrenor briefly looked at the container and dismissively placed it on the ground, shaking his head.

"Hey! Listen!" She raised her voice.

Why wasn't he understanding? Surely he knew what a pill bottle looked was? She couldn't come up with any other way to explain that she would be fine so she decided just to take the pill in front of him. Maybe that would show him? Andie held the pill to her lips and was about to pop it into her mouth when her hand was slapped away before she could. She jumped at the sudden impact and watched flabbergasted as the pill flew from her hand and fell into the grass. Her jaw slacked and she blink owlishly at the general area where the pill landed.

'Are you kidding me?!' She thought furiously.

"Idhrenor!" She snapped at him.

"Non Andie!" He shot back, mouth full of Athelas.

Was this woman crazy?! What was she thinking eating a pebble?! Idhrenor gave her an incredulous look. Anger and disapproval gleamed in her eyes. She shoved him hard in retaliation. He wasn't prepared for such an assault and the crouching position he was in didn't allow him to ground himself much either. Idhrenor fell back onto his bottom for the second time because of Andie and this time he was not shocked. This time he was irked. He glared at her without blinking.

"You didn't have to hit me!" She defended while reaching for the pill bottle.

Idhrenor snatched the bottle and wagged his finger at her. A groan erupted from Andie accompanying the roll of her eyes.

"Give me" she said through gritted teeth. Her hand extended in expectation.

"Non" he declined.

"Give. Me." She reiterated, emphasizing each word.

"Non"

Andie skewered him with a look and he matched her unrelenting stare. She eyed him suspiciously. She wasn't stupid. She was expecting him to pounce at any second now, watching him like a cornered cat. Idhrenor slid the bottle away from them and slowly returned to his crouching stance. Andie was tempted to look where he placed her medication but, knew the distraction would be in his favor. It was a standoff and both were determined to win. Andie moved to get her legs under her so she could get to her feet faster to avoid him. His gaze never left her and she felt outmatched. The seconds ticked by and she felt her courage waver. He was going to win, they both knew this.

She narrowed her eyes as she studied his face for any hint of his next move, his grey eyes challenging her. Andie had to be clever to outsmart him but, how? With her mind racing and adrenaline pumping she did the only thing she could think of.

GASP!

Covering her mouth and pointing behind Idhrenor, Andie feigned a terrified look. Thankfully her acting skills were believable enough to fool him. Idhrenor rose to his feet and turned around with the agility of a seasoned warrior, ready to defend them both. Andie wasted no time snatching her bag from the ground and running in the opposite direction. She didn't have time to look for her medication on the ground. She would have to replace them later when she got home. It was more important to avoid the dreaded paste.

It did not matter the direction, she ran with all her might. Her flight response was on high alert and her heart beat loudly in her chest. She wouldn't even look back, too afraid to check to see if he was right on her heels. She pushed herself further to run with haste and her legs burned as they obeyed. Her chest was on fire and her endurance wouldn't last long but that didn't matter. She would run until her body could no more.

There left behind in amazement was a dumbstruck Idhrenor. His slightly ajar mouth turning into a wide and confident smirk. Much to his surprise she had tricked him and now it was a game of chase, the cat versus the mouse. He allowed her this small advantage and packed up his belongings making sure to stow away her strange container of pebbles. He was sure he would catch her no matter how far she ran. His stride was longer than hers and his endurance was superior as well. With his pack on his back Idhrenor spit out the paste onto a piece of bandage cloth. He placed it into his pocket and decided he had given her enough of a head start.

Andie couldn't hear any footsteps or indication of being followed. Did she dare look? Her legs slowed and she tried to steady her breathing. Turning to look behind her she saw Idhrenor a few feet away. He was like a lion hunting it's prey.

"Oh crap!"

Andie picked up the pace again, fighting through the sting of tired muscles. She knew the possibility of wining was nonexistent. He would catch her eventually and his stubbornness would make sure of it. No she had to just keep run—

YELP!

There was a firm hand on her arm followed by a sudden tug. She was now facing Idhrenor with her front pressed against his in a one armed bear hug. Her hands splayed out on his chest and she tried with her remaining strength to push free. Idhrenor retrieved the cloth with his free hand from his pocket and readied himself to apply the medicinal paste.

"No!" She shouted, shaking her head in a finally attempt to defy him. Even though she was caught she would not make this easy for him.

"No! No! No!"

Idhrenor grunted and grumbled as he fought to reach the side of her face. If he had thought her previous actions were childish then, what did he think of her behavior right now? If anyone were here to witness the shenanigans between the two, they would equate it to a mother trying to clean her strong-willed toddler.

"Andie! Movens subsisto!" Idhrenor said in aspiration.

Seeing she wouldn't stop squirming, Idhrenor choose to start at different location. It was one she left wide open, her neck. The cold slimy sensation that smeared into the side of her neck was enough to make Andie freeze momentarily. It took only seconds for her to realize what he had done. She screamed in disgust and pushed hard against his chest.

"EW! EW! EW!" She whined.

With her now distracted, Idhrenor sneakily smeared the remaining ointment onto the hives on her face earning him more complaints. When he saw Andie attempting to wipe away at it with her sleeve he held her hands in between them.

"Non."

He would hold her hands the entire trek to Bree if he had to and she seemed to have gotten the message from the look in his eyes. She squeezed his hands tightly and her lips were pressed into a fine line. Her nose crinkled and eyes shut tight as she tried her absolute best not to think about the offending paste on her face and neck.

'I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.' She tried to convince herself mentally.

Idhrenor watched her half curious, half concerned. What was she doing now? He squeezed her hands back softly in reassurance, unsure of what to do. She was tense and her skin was crawling. All she could think of was germs and it was disgusting. She felt him let go and then an unexpected warmth wrap around her. Opening her eyes she was surprised find herself in Idhrenor's strong embrace. Looking up to him she saw Idhrenor sheepishly avoiding her gaze. This was his unspoken apology and to Andie it provided more than the words "I'm sorry." It was a gesture she rarely received when having an anxiety attack and it was enough to help ground her. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the beating of his heart. The steady ba-bump calmed her as she focused solely on it. His tight embrace made her feel safe and she relished in this new feeling, a feeling of security.

Her breath had finally steadied and she had calmed enough for Idhrenor to let go. He looked her over once and nodded his head. She had passed his inspection. Other than her partially breathing through her mouth from her sudden cardio she was fine. Idhrenor rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat.

"Bree" he informed her and pointed just left of her.

They hadn't gotten too far away from the path in their antics. They would arrive in Bree a little after the afternoon if no other distractions got in the way. Andie took in a deep breath. There was faint sound of a wheeze when she did so. She inched herself a few steps away from him. She didn't want him to her it, she was beyond fed up with his homemade remedies. Andie nodded to him and gestured for him to lead the way. She didn't want to walk side by side with him. Idhrenor paused when she didn't match his pace, looking at her quizzically.

"I'm still mad at you" She shooed him with her hands.

"Keep walking"

Idhrenor quirked an eyebrow at her. Her dismissive attitude made him chuckle and he obeyed her order when met with a glare. He would allow her this small victory. Andie's hands itched to wipe off the paste now that she was out of his sight. Would he notice? She silently dabbed at her check with her sleeves, her eyes darting over to Idhrenor ever so often. Then she repeated with her neck until she felt "clean" enough. It wouldn't be completely clean until she had a proper bath but it would have to do.

The wheezing persisted with every inhale and exhale. It was faint enough that only she could hear it but bothersome nonetheless. She waited until after Idhrenor glanced her way to get her asthma pump out of her back. The two little puffs grabbed his attention and she saw him scrutinizing her. Andie gave him mock glare and pushed the pump into her sweater pocket.

"Don't look at me!" She half shouted.

"Still mad"

"Pertinax Mulier" he mumbled under his breathe as he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Blah Blah Blah" she mocked.

SMACK

Idhrenor scowled at her. She had smacked his arm to gain his attention. Glancing down at Andie he saw her eating one of the strange bars as she offered him one. She refused to meet his gaze, looking straight forward with a deadpan expression. It was already opened for him and she impatiently nudged him to take it. Together the ate silently as they walked.

Yes, this was going to be a long day.

They arrived at the West-gate of Bree. Andie was exhausted. She looked to Idhrenor and saw that he was perfectly fine and did not look tired at all. She huffed annoyed at his endurance. He had allowed her a quick break for relieving herself but, once she was done they were back on the road. It seemed Andie wasn't the only one eager to get to Bree. The road lead them to a tall metal gate dark in color.

'What is this?' she wonder.

'Where am I? This isn't anywhere I know…'

Forgetting her grievance with him, Andie tugged on his sleeve. She was worried and anxious. Something was wrong and she didn't like not knowing exactly what that was. She felt out of place. It was a strange feeling, like she didn't belong. This was the notion she fought since meeting Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest. It was the thought she pushed to the back of her mind in order to stay positive about her little journey to get home. Now she was forced to face a fear she dismissed as a impossibility, that she was more than just lost.

Idhrenor was silent, waiting for Andie to speak. He could see her distress though knew not what caused it. He thought she would have been glad to have finally reached Bree. She hadn't let go of his sleeve and was almost clinging onto his arm.

"I—Idhrenor?"

"Bree" he explained, gesturing to the gate.

"This is Bree?!" She squeaked.

They shared a moment of silence and uncertainty. Idhrenor placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently in an attempt to comfort her. It was as if he could read her mind and Andie wondered if he knew how scared she was.

"Gandalf" he said confidently.

Idhrenor took off his cloak and draped it over her. He pulled the hood over her head after securing the clasp around her neck. It was too long for her and the hood covered her eyes. Idhrenor scrutinized her appearance briefly, it concealed her completely. She had to hike up the cloak a bit and hold it close in the front so that it covered her clothes but, it was better than strange apparel she wore. Her clothes would gain too much attention and Idhrenor thought it wise to keep her oddness hidden. With one last tug on the cloak, Idhrenor bent down just enough to look underneath the hood. He held onto her shoulders, looked straight into her eyes and squeezed gently.

"Gandalf Andie…" he affirmed.

"Gandalf" she repeated.

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm very sorry for the long wait. I wasn't feeling well and it came to my attention that I had a huge gap in the timeline I had planned. I also had some contradicting elements in the next few chapters that I had to correct. But, I think I got it now. This is a lengthy Chapter and I hope I didn't bore you. Im trying to write in a Third Person Omniscient POV and I hope I'm writing correctly. Any advice or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated as it helps me learn and better my skills. :) I'm so glad we've finally reached Bree! Let me know what you think about this chapter.

Welcome to Loser94, Kesperlis, and PickleFan14! Thank you everyone for the review, favorites and follows! It really brighten my day and kept me motivated through my cold.

-DreamingGalaxies

Quid enim mali est?: What's wrong?

Mea Domina: My lady

Posuit manere: Stay here

Andie maneat: Andie stay

Et induere cultioribus vestimentis!: Get dressed!

Sunt tibi bene?: Are you well?

Non: No

Movens Subsisto: Stop Moving

Pertinax Mulier: Stubborn Woman

Disclaimer:

Everything belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien except my OCs and the unrecognizable parts of the plot.